Gun Guy’s feet shuffled and I saw Fate look at them in a way that made me wonder if he was imagining target practice. Maybe I wasn’t so sensitive and Gun Guy should’ve been more so.
Finally he spat it out. “Do you know what’s going on? Is that what all this shit is for? Do you know what’s coming? I mean, half the people I know in town are acting like animals.”
My head shot up, waiting to see if Fate would answer. What he would say.
Fate cocked an eyebrow. “Do you really think you should be throwing stones?”
“Really, man, I need to know. Look, I’m freaked out.” Gun Guy’s eyes shot to me once more, as if nervous to say anything in my presence before he blurted out what he wanted to say to Fate anyway. “Whatever you are, man, I know you know things.”
I looked at Gun Guy. He was scared, and for all the criminal activity he seemed to be knee deep in, considering what most people’s karmas were looking like these days, he was fairing pretty well. Actually, he was doing better than I would’ve anticipated. He might have even been bright a few weeks ago.
I swallowed, holding back any lame explanation I could offer and was grateful Fate had to field that question. I certainly didn’t know what to say. There is some crazy non-human creature who is the epitome of anger on the loose? And he may either be the cause of this or maybe worse, a symptom of a problem we can’t pinpoint?
I saw a quick glimmer of something that might have been pity flicker over Fate’s expression. I unzipped the second bag of guns, pretending to be counting them but really trying to hide my face. I didn’t want Gun Guy to see the myriad of fear, dread and defeat probably written all over me.
Fate placed the rifle on the metal table in the center with a soft clank. “I don’t know what’s coming but maybe it wouldn’t be a bad idea to lay low—really low—for a while. Get yourself stocked up and stay put. You’ll be fine if you don’t go into a city, no matter how small.”
The guy rested his hands on the table, looking like he was close to breakdown mode. I recognized the signs well at that point due to my own current emotional instability. He looked down and when he started talking, I wasn’t sure if it was to himself or us.
“I saw a gang drag some chick into the alleyway the other day. I managed to scare them off with my gun but nobody else seemed to care. They dragged her off, kicking and screaming, in the middle of the afternoon. Everyone saw it. They just went about their business like it wasn’t happening.”
When Gun Guy paused, I sneaked a peek at him. He wasn’t scared. He was terrified. A look of utter dread crossed his face and his next words made some of that same dread creep into me. “Man, don’t you get it? If I’m the good guy, we’re all fucked.”
I abruptly zipped up the duffle bag I was looking through and told Fate I’d meet him outside. I didn’t want to hear this today. On my way upstairs, and back to the car, all I could think of was that Gun Guy was right. We were all fucked.
I threw the bag in the backseat of the truck and waited for Fate. He showed up several minutes later and dumped the other bags alongside mine before he climbed behind the wheel.
“He’s right,” I said as the engine roared to life the way only an eight cylinder could.
“So that’s it? You sound like you’re ready to throw in the towel.”
He sounded aggravated but I’d seen the feeling he had on his face when he told Gun Guy what he thought. He could pretend none of this bothered him but it did.
“You know that’s not my style. I’m more of a going down with the ship type. But I’m also realistic. I still feel the water climbing up my legs as I’m going down.”
“No, that’s not ‘realistic’, that’s morbid. Realistic is having a back-up plan, which I do. Either way, we’ll be okay. I meant what I said to you in the office.”
I hoped he was right and he had a parachute for us.
“So let’s hear about those back-ups you’ve got,” I said, placing the sole of my sandal on the dash.
He eyed the offending strappy footwear. “I’m starting to realize why you got the work car you did.”
I put the other one up next to it. “Back-up plan?”
He did the subtle shake of his head, which I took to mean he thought I was being too human at the moment and it was best to let whatever irritating thing I was currently doing go since I didn’t know any better. “As to back-ups, I’ve got places we can go.”
“Like a safe house or something?”
“More like a safe island or something.”
“You’ve got an island?”
“A lot of people have islands.”
“No, they don’t. Not in the normal world, anyway. How many people can we fit on your island?”
“It’s large enough to accommodate the office staff. Some employees won’t need a retreat, like Jockey or Santa. They’re secure.”
“What about your guys?”
“They’ll be staying. I’ve already spoken to them. This isn’t bothering them much.”
I thought of Cutty, Angus, Bic and Lars. Yeah, I could see how this might just be a blip on the radar for them.
“And the rest of the world?”
“I can’t fit them all.” He shrugged. “Eventually, they’ll kill each other off until they’ve dwindled down to more manageable levels, and then maybe there’ll be something we can do.”
I didn’t ask if he was joking. I knew he wasn’t. And that was the difference between having a human past and watching from the loftiness of Fate’s position. The idea of the world’s population dwindling down until it hit manageable levels, whatever number that might be, wasn’t the silver lining for me.
I hit the down button on the window and let the wind hit me full in the face until it was hard to breathe. I wasn’t going to try and explain. He didn’t get it. He wasn’t a transfer. He didn’t have roots here, people who’ve given everything they had and stood by him.
“I’ve got to get my parents out of here somehow.”
“I’ve already handled it.”
My head whipped in his direction. “You did?”
“Yes. As of this morning, they’re on a plane to an all-inclusive resort vacation on a private island. It’s a long-stay vacation they won in a raffle that a friend entered them in.”
“Why didn’t you tell me?” It was possibly one of the nicest things anyone had ever done for me and he hadn’t said a word about it?
He threw the truck into fourth gear, kicking up dust and gravel on the dirt road behind us. “I wasn’t sure you wanted to discuss them but I knew that if things got worse you’d want them safe.”
“Thank you.”
He looked at me and his lips turned up but just slightly; nothing that would be described as a real smile or even one of his sexy smirks. But there was something there, something I felt like he wanted to say.
He didn’t though and he wouldn’t. He reached forward and raised the volume on the radio, the moment passing. I’d never know exactly what it was he wanted to say.
I wanted to ask. The words were already formed; I was just unable to break past the barrier of my pride that sat as thick as a cinder block wall between us.
I reached forward and changed the channel.
Chapter Seventeen
I awoke to the feel of Fate moving around and getting up from the bed. I wasn’t sure if it was on purpose or planned, but this was the second time I remembered going to sleep alone to wake up with company.
I lay there, feigning sleep, knowing he’d leave soon and not wanting to deal with the after cuddle awkwardness that came with the morning. We weren’t a couple but friends didn’t spoon every night. Fate and I were officially in relationship no man’s land.
It took him about twenty minutes to shower, dress and leave. I could hear him come close to the bed, like he had yesterday, and he stood there for a few moments while I tried to keep my breathing even.
Then his fingers grazed my hair. He hadn’t done that yesterday.